Reception Trends

Once the excitement of a wedding ceremony is behind the bride and groom, the reception that follows can and should be an opportunity to kick-back, have fun and share this once-in-a-lifetime celebration with loved ones.
The wedding reception is a reflection of your values, beliefs and personalities. For an authentic experience that includes tradition, ritual and heritage, check-out these reception trends:

FOOD

• Create a menu that directly relates to your relationship.  For example, think
  about important milestones in your time together, such as where you met,
  where you had your first date, where you got engaged.  Then develop a meal
  that connects to that location.
  
• Consider creating a menu that reflects your ethnicity with cultural foods that offer a connection to your traditions.
  
• Invite the matriarch or patriarch of your families to bless the food and talk about its significance to family history/heritage.
  
• Personalize your wedding cake by writing your names on it, or having a family member write a wish on it.

MUSIC AND DANCING

• Extend the traditional dance partnering of the bride and her father to other family members.  For example, the bride can have a special dance with her stepchildren or her father-in-law.
  
• Select music that reflects your culture and heritage.  Then have an elder relative explain its meaning to guests.  From Greek circle dancing to folk dancers and musicians, there’s so much to choose from and to enjoy.

TOASTS

• Use toasts or poems that reflect your culture.  For example, there are blessings, poems and other significant readings that relatives would love to share with you and your guests. A toast may be a good way to “showcase” someone who did not have a large role in the wedding ceremony.
  
• Ask the eldest person from each family to speak or have someone who has come a long distance to share a few words.
  
• Invite couples that have been married or partnered the longest to share pearls of wisdom.

DECOR

• Include cultural flourishes – Examples:  Chinese paper lanterns; Japanese origami cranes; colorful tablecloths that your cultural heritage. 
  
• Incorporate favorite hobbies into the reception décor:  Movies, sailing, antiquing, sports, the arts, etc. all can be brought to life throughout the party.
  
• Set-up a table that showcases wedding photos from both families’ histories in beautiful frames for all to enjoy.